Rotaryi explosive-engine



No. 749,654, PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904. B. BANTA & c. MATHEWS.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1903. I NO MODEL 6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Z IN VE N T055 WITNESSES;

No. 749,654. PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904. B. BANTA & G. MATHEWS.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1903*.

v a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

A TTOHNE VS.-

No. 749,654. PATENTED JAN.- 12, 1904:.

B. BANTA & G. MATHEWS.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1903.

N0 110mm. 6 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Ill/l/IIIII I NI l mu ///l////ll////l///// W/ TNESSES:

v Z INVENTORS fi m .62 am A TTOHNE YS.

No. 749,654. PATENTED JAN. 12, 190

B. BANTA & G. MATHEWS. ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED APR. 21, 1903. H0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

No. 749,654. PATENTBD JAN. 12, 1904.

B. BANTA & 0. MATHEWS. ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1903.

6 SHEETSSHEET 5.

N0 MODEL.

. WITNESSES! A TTORNE Y PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

B. BANTA & C. MATHEWS.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6- N0 MODEL.

A TTOHNE YS.

UNITED STATES Patented January 12, 1904.

P TENT OFFICE.

I ROTARY EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 749,654, dated January 12, 1904.

Application filed April 21, 1903.

1'0 alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BERT BANTA and CHARLES MATHEWS, residing at Fenton, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented .a new and Improved Rotary Explosive-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is in the nature of an improved rotary engine especially designed to actuate under an explosive mixture, reversible under two or more propelling impulses in a single revolution, and it primarily seeks to provide an engine of this character of a simple, compact, and durable nature, in which the use of toothed gear-wheels or disk connections are dispensed with and in which the several parts are cooperatively arranged to effect an even and uniform. operation and in which the action of reversing or regulating the speed can be quickly and conveniently accomplished.

In its generic nature our invention comprehends an annular casing, a shaft-carried head tact therewith of the passing piston'or stor-' ,age chambers, a; valved exhaust cooperative or disk rotatable within the said casing provided with a plurality, preferably two, of diametrically opposite -disposed hollow pistons,-'hereinafter termed storage-chambers,

each havinga pair of inwardly-opening valves in their impacting or pushing faces, a pair of sliding abutments automatically closable and movable to their open position by the conwith each abutment, a mixing-chamber having a plurality of valved inletscommunicating with/the casing in which the hollow pistonequip'ped*rotator is mounted, automaticallyactuated feed devices for admitting the working agent (air and gas) into the mixing-chamber, and suitable trip mechanism for .actuat ingthe several valves within the hollow pistons at predetermined times and for setting in operation the igniting devices.

Our inventionin its more complete nature also embodies a special arrangement of slidlng' abutment, a valved exhaust for each abutment, a cooperative rotator having tapering hollow plstons, 'each provided with an inward ly-opening valve in its pushing-faces and ameans for shifting the valves of the exhaust,

rangcmcnt of the cooling means.

Serial No. 153,644. (No model.)

' whereby to bank the burned mixture when oin in one direction to roduce an' air-cushion for reversing the motion of the rotator' and the action of its valved hollow pistons or storing-chambers.

Again, our invention includes certain peculiar arrangements of the casing portions, the abutment-housings, and the abutments operating therein, whereby to effect an air and fluid tight connection of the several parts without the aid of packing or clamping means, and in its still more subordinate features our invention consists in certain details of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is avertical longitudinal section of 1 our improved type of rotary engine, the several parts being shown-in the position they assume when the engine is to run in the direction indicated by the arrow X. Fig. 2 is a.

rotary pistons or storage-chambers attached.

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section of the mixing-valve, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan View of a portion of a top of the engine looking in the direction a of the line A B, Fig. 1, and illustrating the correlative arrangement of the abutmenthousing, the exhaust adjacent the housing, and the valves that control the openings adjacent the abutment that connects the mixing and compressing chambers of the engine. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of the engine-casing and illustrates a modified ar- Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the same on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7 a modified construction of the hollow pistons or storing-chambers being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 9 is a side elevation, parts being in section, of the modified construction of the piston. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the same .on the line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail plan view of the hinged valve members T and 8 shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail plan view of a modified construction of 1", and the said casing is formed -of an annu lar rim 1", whose internal face 1 tapers from a maximum diameter at the outer edge 3 to a minimum diani'eter at the inner edge 2, the reason for which will presentlyappear.

The shaft 2 is mounted in fixedly-held bearings 3 3, and upon said shaft is keyed a rotator or head A, which comprises a central or spider portion a, which includes the hub 64 for engaging the shaft and which at one side extends througha boss 1 on the end plate C, and at the opposite end it bears against a stout coiled spring (Z, located in the socket 0 of the .end plate C, and the said spring also engages the adjacent bearing 3, as clearly shown, and it is provided to normally force the rotator A in thedirection indicated by the arrow 5 on Fig. 3 to. produce a wedged tight closure between the rotator andthe casing, as will presently more fully appear.-

On the upperend of the casing 1 is integ grally formed a segmentalmixing-chamber E, one end of which merges with the radiallyeXtended housing F for the slidingabutment' l the annular space betweentheperiphery of the rotator and the casing-rim through 'two pair of openings H H spaced equidistantly:

from a line taken vertically through the engine-axis, (see Fig. 1,) and the said openings H H are controlled by spring-closedv'alvrs h h, each having a stem if k" working through a bridge-piece k [b and carrying acoil-spring If.

At each side and just in advance of the abutments are located the exhausts I I, each of which has an inwardly-closing controllingvalve 2' 2", and the two valves 2' z" are joined to a shifting-lever J, disposed outside the casing, (seeFig. 2,) with which they connect by crank-arms K K, and the said Valves 2' i are arranged to operate alternately-that is, when the valve 2 at the left of Fig. 1 is open, which right is closed, and vice versa.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the rotator has dia- 'metrically oppositely disposed flat surfaces parallel with respect to each other and tangential to the shaft-axis, and on each of said flat surfaces is firmly bolted a triangularshaped hollow piston, (designated L L,) which inour construction of engine forms storagechambers, as in them is stored the working agent in the manner presently explained.

Each storage chamber or piston L L has openings 11 inthe opposite impacting faces normally closed by hinged valved plates 7 7 8 8, which are fulcrumed on independently-rocking pintles 7 8", that project through the side rims a? a which form a part of the rotator A and which, together with the rim 1, form the annular combined compression and explosion chamber, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, from which it will also benoticed the opposite rims a (t are of slightly-difl'erent diameter, whereby when the rotator is drawn or adjusted in the direction indicated by arrow 5 on Fig. 3 a close fluid and air tight joint is made between the rotator and annular rim or casing 1", and to reduce friction the peripheral edges of the rims a a have annular lubricant holding grooves a supplied in any well-known manner. I

The'pintles 7 8 each carry a crank-arm a, and the several crank-arms a are so arranged (assuming the rotator to be running in the direction indicated by-the arrow in Fig. 1) that just after the downgoing or charged storagechamber or piston-head passes under the abutment-slide or gate F the crank-arm a of the said storage-chamber L engages with a stud- IIO each of the studs 10 10 is mounted a switch 12 12, which switches control a pair of independent circuits 13 13 to the igniting or sparking plugs 1 1 14 of any approved construction and which extend to the annular space between therotator and the cylinder-rim at a point just beyond and close up 'to the abutment-slides. The working agent, a mixture of gas or gasolene and air, is fed into the mixing-chamber E through the feed-pipe 15, (see Fig. 3,) that connects with the valve-casing'15, in which is held a regulating-valve 15, connecting with an adjusting member 15", and which engages a seat 15 in the casing'15-,- with which communicates the gas or gasolr-ue feed-port 15 and the main air-feed 15", the feed-port 15 being controlled by a needle-valve .g of any well-known construction.

To regulate the air-feed, supplemental airinlets a are formed in the pipe 15 just above the valve seat, which are surrounded bya cut- Fig. 5.

So far as described the Operation of our improved explosive-engine is best explained as follows: To st rt the engine to run in the direction indicat d. by the full-line arrow, the

shaft, with the rotator, is manually turned a number of revolutions, and in so doing a Vacuuin is formed within the annular cylinder space between the storage chamber or piston L in Fig. 1 and the sliding abutment Gr at the left thereof: This causes the controlling-valve 15 tr rise from its seat and admit a charge of working agent, the mixture of which is readily regulated by the needle-valve and air-cone trolling devices, heretofore referred to, which working charge is drawn into the mixingchamber E. After'the rotator A has been turned enough to fill the mixing-chamber E the storage chamberor piston L is passing through that part of the annular space under the casing-rim 1 designated C C, (compression-chamber,) the valve it back of the member L opens to let in the working agent between the member L and the abutment G back of it, and (assuming the rotator has made a complete rotation) the power-supply now in front of the member L is being compressed in the compression-chamber and forced back into the hollow of the member L through the valved opening in the front or compressing face thereof.

The member L, with the charge of working agent within it, then passes under and lifts the abutment F, at which time the pressure of the working agent within the member L closes both valves in the said member. After the piston or hollow member L passes beyond theabutment F the latter immediately closes automatically and 'closes the compression chamber from the E O (explosion-chamber) through which the charged hollow member is now passing. After the abutment F is closed the crank-arm that joins with the valve? of the member L engages the stud 10. and. is thereby tripped to open the valve 7 toallow the charge in the said memher L to escape into the E P space between the member-L and the abutment F back of it, and immediately after the valve7 has been thus tripped the crank member 7 a of thevalve engages the electric circuit-closer which controls the sparking device in the explosivechamber now back of the member L, which ignites said charge and impels the'rotator forward, it being understood that the several. parts are so cooperatively joined and timed in their actions that the explosion occurs just as the opposing piston or storage chamber L sion in advance of it through the exhaust I,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Itis deemed proper to here point out that while the'ignition occurs almost instantly af ter the charge is permitted to escape from the storage-piston into the explosion-space the interval between the escape of the charge and its explosion is suflicient to utilize the expansive force of the said charge to assist in balancing the resistance effected with respect to the speed of the rotator by reason of the compression of the working agent between the filled hollow piston and the abutment in advance of the then compressing piston or storage member. g

During the operation of the engine in the direction indicated the valve h for the mixingchamber outlet remains permanently closed by the action of the spring 71. and the compression of the charge underneath it; but when the engine is running in the reverse direction the said valve It opens and the other valve it remains closed.

To reverse the engine while running, the le ver-bar J, which includes a supplemental shiftable member j, is adjusted to close the exhaustvalve 2' without opening the valve z", thereby cutting ofi? both exhausts I I. When the exhaustsarethus closed, the hollow piston that approaches the abutment F compresses the burned mixture, and since there is no escape for the said mixture the same is trapped and forms a cushion which overcomes the inertia of the said rotator, springs it back, and causes the storage-chamber (which under normal conditions would have been drawing in a new J charge between it and the abutment F) to immediately close the valve H and at the same time open the valve H and now draw in the charge from the opposite direction. After this is done and a single explosion occurs, the shifter j is further adjusted to now open the IIO exhaust-valve z" in the exhaust I, and as the rotator moves reverselythe crank member on the valve 8 in the storage-chamber L will then engage the stud 10 and the electric switch devices for the sparking or igniting devices at the other side, the operation of the parts then being effected in the same manner as before described, but in a reverse direction.

In the practical construction of ourinven tion the side walls of the combined compression and explosion chamber, which are integral with and-move with the rotator-head, are cooled by suitable means, which may be in the nature-of ribs 20 20, (shown in Fig. 3 or as shown in the modified constructions Figs. 7 and 8,),in which the sides of the annular chamber or space are formed with annular pockets to receive a cooling fluid, said pockets Qihavin g suitably-arranged inlets and outlets that communicate with the water-passages 5 22 in the cylinder-rim.

\Nhile we have illustrated a cooling means,

it manifest that our invention is not restricted to the use of a cooling means of any specific type, and while it is preferred to provide a cylinder cooling means, yet the same might be entirely omitted.

e do not confine ourselves to any specific form of electric switch or contact-making devices, as the same may be modified to suit the I 5 desired conditions so long as they are placed in the plane of an actuating-arm carried by the rotator. Forexample, the switch devices may be arranged as shown diametrically in Figs. 11 and 12, in which a pair of oppositelydisposed cams concentric with the shaft-axis are provided and which are designated 25 and which have their adjacent ends radial to the shaft-axis and in the path of movement of the arm a. and mounted on the stem of the 2 5 valves in the storage-chamber that let out the working charge into the explosion-chamber. In this latter arrangement it will be noticed when the rotator is moving in the direction indicated the arm a is forced to pass under a cam 25 and is controlled thereby, and in passing under said cam 25 it engages the electriccircuit contacts 25 25 and closes the circuit for the proper igniting plug or device. When, however, the arm a reaches the other cam 25",

3 5 the said arm by reason of its pivotal connection and the beveled edge 25" on the cam 25 does not pass under the said cam, but over the outer face thereof, as indicated by the curved arrow on Fig. 12, and thereby leaves its valve 4 or. gate closed and does not engage the switch devices of the said cam 25, it being understood that the arm (0 on the diametrically opposite storage-chamber on the reverse motion of the engine engages the cam 25 and 4 5 the electric contacts thereon in the same manner that the other arm a engages the cam 25 and the electrical devices carried thereby. When this latter form of cam and electriccontactdevices are used, we prefer to arrange the valves within the storage-chambers L L,

as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in which the two .,,valvcs in each storage chamber are shown oined by an ord nary gate-hinge connection at the apex of the chamber, and each valve is provided with an inwardly-projected slotted arm 30, and the two arms 30 lap eachother, whereby to conveniently receive a cross-stud 30, mounted on the lower end of a crank 3O on a rocker-bar 30, mounted transversely over the bottom of the storage-chamber and having one end pro ected beyond the casingwall to receive the arm 0*, the upper end of which is forked to receive a roller-bearing 80,

\ (see Fig. 9,) by reference to which it will also 5 be noticed a tension-spring is provided to maintain the arm in its several adjusted positions.

By arranging the parts as just described l when one of the valves is operated it does not affect the movement of the other valves.

l with the drawings, the complete operation and j the advantages of our invention will, it is belicved, be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appcrtains.

Among the advantages it is deemed proper to call attention to the provision made for slowing down the engine speed and reversing the same, the latter action being practically automatic. The parts are so combined that packing is not required, and by reason of the taper of the side walls of the annular space in the cylinder and the taper of the abutments or gates the latter are maintained in afluid-tight condition during their shifted or closure adjustments.

\Vhile the structural features shown and described illustrate a preferred arrangement of parts constituting our engine, itwill be readily apparent the said parts may be modified or varied without departing from the principle of our invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rotary explosive-engine, comprising a cylindrical casing, a pair of oppositely dispose-d radial abutments automatically closable, a mixing-chamber mounted externally of the casing between the abutments, means for supplying a working agent to the mixing-chamber, a valved exhaust connecting with the cylinder, a rotator mounted within the cylinder and including a hollow rotary piston having openings in the opposite impacting or pushing faces and whose outer end travels close against the inner face of the annular wall of the cylinder, a pair 'of oppositely-disposed internally-opening valves mounted within the hollow piston, a feed-portconnecting the mixingchamber with the cylinder at a point between the abutments, an automatically-actuated valve-operating means for tripping one of the hollow piston-valves to let outthe charge in the said hollow piston when the said piston passes r under the sliding abutment on the down-going side of the cylinder, and means actuated by the movement of the rotator for igniting the charge from the hollow piston, as set forth.

2. A rotary explosive-engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotator mounted therein, a mixingchamber, a valved working-agent feed therefor controlled by the movement of the rotator, means mounted on the cylinder and the rotator cooperatively arranged whereby to draw 1 in a charge into the cylinder, a second means j actuated by the movement of the rotator for conveying the charge to a predetermined point 5 within the cylinder, a valved exhaust for the From the foregoing, taken in connection ICC cylinder and an igniting means actuated by the movement of the rotator for exploding the charge conveyed by the rotator, as set forth.

3. In a rotary gas-engine of the character described; a cylinder having valved induction and exhaust ports, a rotator within the cylin der having a radially-disposed hollow piston provided with an opening in each opposite or impacting face, valves automatically adjusted by the fluidpressure in the cylinder externally or internally of the hollow piston, a pair of radially-sliding abutments automatically closable, said abutments being oppositely. disposed, one at eachside between the induction and exhaust ports of the cylinder, a means for tripping the valve on the rear side of the radial piston member after it passes under one of the. abutments whereby to discharge the working agent withinthe hollow piston between said piston and the abutment, and a second means controlled by the forward motion of the rotator for igniting the said charge for the purposes set forth.

4. In a rotary explosive-engine; the combination with a cylinder, a pair of slidable radial abutments, an exhaust in advance of said abutments, an induction-port communicating with the cylinder at a point between the abutments, a rotator axially mounted within the cylinder including a hollow piston radially projepted therefrom, said piston having an opening in each impacting face, a valve for each of said openings mounted within the said piston and actuated by the working-agent pressure in the cylinder externally and internally of the hollow piston whereby in approaching one of the said abutments, the valve on the front impacting face opens to let in a charge of igniting agent and hold the other valve to its closed position to create a vacuum between the rear face of the said hollow piston and the other abutment and thereby draw in a fresh charge through the induction-port, said hollowpiston having its impacting faces inclined whereby to raise the abutment-slides, a means controlled by the forward movement of the rotator for tripping the valve on the rear face of the piston to let out the'charge held therein when the said face is passing under the abutment, means for automatically closing said abutment and igniting devices including an actuating member carried by the rotator for setting in operation said igniting. devices immediately after the discharge passes from the hollow piston into the cylinder-space between it and the abutment under which it last passed, as set forth.

5. In a rotary gas-engine; the combination with the cylinder having induction and ex haust ports, of a piston rotatably mounted therein and including hollow radial projections whose opposite impacting faces are tapering, and each having an opening, valves located within the hollow projections inwardly and outwardly shiftable under external and internal fluid-pressure, and means controlled ing hollow piston-chambers, a valved exhaust cooperative with each abutment, a mixingchamber having a plurality of valved inlets communicating with the casing in which the hollow piston-equipped rotator is mounted, autornatically-actuated devices for admitting the explosive agent into the mixing-chamber, and trip mechanism for actuating the several valves within the hollow piston members at predetermined times and for setting in operation the igniting means, as set forth.

7. A rotary gas-engine of the character described, comprising an annular casing, a pair of oppositely-disposed sliding abutments automatically closable, a valved exhaust in ad-- vance of each abutment, a cooperative axiallydisposed rotator within the casing having tapering hollow pistons projected radially, each provided with inwardly-opening valves in the pushing faces thereof, and a means for shifting the exhaust-valves whereby to bank the burned mixture when going in one direction to provide an air-cushion for reversing the motion of the rotator and the action of its valved hollow piston members, as set forth.

8. In a rotary gas-engine as described; an annular casing, a pair of oppositely and radially disposed sliding abutments automatically closable, induction-openings in the casing disposed between the abutments, one adjacent each abutment, a valve for each inductionopening automatically closable, a mixingchamber with which the induction-openings communicate, a valved feed-pipe for leading the working agent to the mixing-chamber, a valved exhaust adjacent to and in advance of each sliding abutment, a rotator axially mounted within the casing having radial hollow pisten members whose opposite faces are tapering and each formed with an opening, a valve for each opening hinged within the hollow piston, said valves being alternately held, one

to its closed, and the other, to its open position by the influx of the working agent into the hollow pistons, said rotator, the hollow pistons, the valves therein and the mixingchamber induction-ports and the sliding abutments, being cooperatively arranged whereby the charge within the cylinder between the abutments is forced into the hollow piston member and in passing through the said cylinder-space as a new charge is being sucked into the said space between the rear of the piston and its adjacent closed abutment, and means actuated by the down-going movement of the rotator for shifting the back face-valve of the hollow piston after it passes under the forward abutments to exhaust the charge contained within the hollow piston member into the cylinder between the said piston and the adjacent abutmentand an igniting device set in operation by the movement of the rotator for exploding the said charge, as set forth.

9. In a rotary gas-engine, the combination with a cvlinder having induction and exhaust ports, the latter being oppositely disposed and each having a cut-off valve, a pair of abutments piston-actuated to their open position, a piston rotatable in the cylinder, said piston including diametrically-disposed 1101-' low radial extensions having an opening in each impacting or pushing face, valves for controlling said openings adapted to be moved to an open or closed position by fluid-pressure, a means controlled by the movement of the piston for opening said valves while under fluid-pressure and a shifting device external of the casing adapted when shifted to first close the exhaust-valve on the exhaust side of the cylinder and then open the valve for the opposite exhaust, for the purposes specified.

10. In a rotary gas-engine of the character described; the combination of an annular casing whose inner face is wedge-shaped in crosssection, a rotator axially mounted in said casing and comprising a central spider-frame and an annular chamber portion, the peripheral edge of which is wedge-shaped to fit wedgetight within the annular casing, induction and exhaust ports communicating with the said chamber, said rotator also including diametrically and oppositely disposed radially-extended hollow chambers having tapering pushing or impacting faces, each of which has an opening, valves carried within the hollow chambers for closing said openings, and a pair of sliding abutments automatically closable and movable outward by the hollow pistons, and means for tripping said valves and for igniting the working-agent charge at predetermined intervals, as setforth.

11. In a rotary gas-engine as described; in combination with the cylinder, the inlets, the exhausts and the sliding abutments arranged substantially as shown, of the rotator including hollow radial piston members having tapering impacting surfaces in each of which is an opening, a pair of hinged valves in each hollow piston member adapted to be swung to an open or closing position under fluid pressure, and external means controlled by the down-going movement of the rotator to open the rear main one of the hinged valves against the fluid-pressure thereon to permit the escape of the working-agent charge within the hollow piston member into the explosion portion of the cylinder, means operable by the said downgoing movement of the rotator for igniting the said charge when it passes into the said explosion-chamber, as set forth.

BERT BANTA. 4 CHARLES MA'lHE\\'S.

Witnesses:

ELIHU VVAITE, H. H.'VAN TIFFLIN. 

